Infinitives: After Adjectives

1. Reactions and Feelings (pleased to meet you)
Oftentimes, infinitives are put after adjectives to convey reactions and feelings.

Examples:
Wanda's anxious to fly alone.
I'm pleased to meet you in person.
Paula was surprised to run into John.

Note: Not all adjectives, though, are followed by infinitives. In some cases, adjectives are followed by that-clauses or preposition + -ing form. At times, adjectives are either followed by either an infinitive or -ing form but conveying a different message/meaning.

2. Other Adjectives (certain to win)
Adjectives such as right, wrong, stupid, certain, welcome, careful, due, fit, able, likely, and lucky are usually followed by infinitives.

Examples:
Dexter is very fit to train.
I was stupid to trust him.
Ben's certain to get a raise.

3. Superlatives (the oldest athlete to win)
Infinitives are also applied to superlatives. It's similar in meaning to an identifying relative clause.

Example:
Rico is the tallest boy to join the club.
Phil is the oldest employee to work in the factory.
She is the youngest gymnast to win a gold medal.

Note: This form can also be applied with first, second, third, etc., next, last, and only.

Examples:
He was the first Asian to climb Mt. Everest.
Wally was the only passenger to survive the crash.
Vic is the second president to serve on a second term.

4. Easy to please
With the adjectives easy, hard, difficult, impossible, good, ready, enough, and too, adjectives are followed by infinitives where the subject of the clause is really the object of the infinitive.

Examples:
Gina is easy to please.
German is difficult for English speakers to learn.
Fanny's presentation is impossible to understand.